This invention relates to a novel and improved insulation displacement connector and terminal block which meet high frequency transmission requirements while presenting the same external dimensions and configuration as existing connectors and terminal blocks.
Insulation displacement connectors and terminal blocks which utilize such connectors have found widespread acceptance in communications applications. Such connectors and terminal blocks have been utilized primarily in telecommunications applications. Examples of particularly useful and widely accepted terminal blocks and associated insulation displacement connectors are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,957,335, issued May 18, 1976 to Troy and 5,127,845, issued Jul. 7, 1992 to Ayer et al., which are assigned to the same owner as the present invention.
Such blocks and connectors may be used as a connecting point, splice point or cross-connect point of a communications network. Such communications networks can be utilized for voice communications and data communications. In the case of data communications, the speed of data transmission is usually much higher today than only a few years ago. More recently, a number of new standards have been developed by the industry standards organizations to assure reliability and integrity of transmissions.
These new standards have been developed for communications networks including both cables and connecting devices for supporting data communications at relatively high frequencies. These standards specify acceptable transmission characteristics of both cables and connecting devices for data transmission at frequencies of up to 100 Mhz.
The terminal blocks of the above-referenced patents present rows of terminals arranged in parallel and spaced apart in groups. Each group has a plurality of side-by-side terminals. The spacing between terminals in each group as well as between the respective groups is preselected for allowing easy access by a tool for connecting wires to the respective terminals. This tool, and a corresponding projecting tool-engaging portion of each insulation displacement connector or terminal are of complementary configuration. This arrangement is advantageous in that a single standardized tool can be used in the field to connect wires to a terminal block of this type.
Moreover, the external configuration and dimensions of the terminal block itself are preferably standardized, such that one block can be substituted for another block in the field. This avoids the tasks of rearranging equipment, providing additional or different mounting space, and moving or replacing mounting hardware or the like. This also maintains the same dimensional relationships between one or more terminal blocks and adjacent related equipment.
The above-mentioned standards for high frequency (e.g. 100 Mhz.) data transmission impose various transmission requirements on both the wiring and connecting equipment such as terminal blocks of the foregoing type. These standards have been developed by such organizations as The American National Standard Institute (ANSI), Electronic Industries Association (EIA), Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA). The current standards are designated EIA/TIA 568, July 1991, and Telecommunications Systems Bulletin (TSB) 40-A, January 1994. In order to meet these requirements, various modifications have been proposed both to the prior art terminal blocks and to the prior art insulation displacement connectors to be mounted therein.
Advantageously, we have discovered a manner in which to effect such modifications as are necessary to meet the requirements imposed by the high-frequency standards without changing either the tool-engaging portion of the insulation displacement connector or the external dimensions and configuration of the terminal block, including the terminal spacing thereon.